the best kind of news
by Anrheithwyr
Summary: Ernie and Lisa visit Hogsmeade for an important conversation.


Someone had pulled the curtains away from the bed that Ernie was resting on so that light flooded in, making him have to squint.

Standing over him, candlelight making her shimmer around the edges, was Lisa Turpin, with an odd look on her face that Ernie might have attributed to mischief, with the blonde girl smiling so fiercely that Ernie wondered if she had been hit by a Cheering Charm recently.

"I think you should see this, Ernie," she said with excitement in her voice, wiggling her fingers as she pulled him from his bed in the Hospital Wing. "It's cool, Ernie, come on."

"I-I think I'm supposed to stay _in _the Hospital Wing, actually, Lisa," Ernie said nervously, giving the Healer's office door a nervous look.

"Oh, come on, it won't matter if you're gone for a few hours, right? I mean, I'm sure your cousin will keep Madame Pomfrey busy long enough until we get back. Come on, don't worry so much, I promise, just visit Hogsmeade with me." She gave him another encouraging smile, and Ernie finally relented, following her out of the infirmary and down to the front door.

They made their way to the main hall, where a few other students were still milling about, looking lost or thrown off, wandering around as though in search for some place in life.

Ernie gave them a worried look, wondering if that would be him soon enough, unsure where to go next in the world, peaked after a battle where so many had lost their lives and now left as a survivor.

"Come on, Ernie, they'll be fine. Soon enough, the shock will finally blow over for them, and life will be back to normal. I know it's hard but we can't focus on that right now. Just follow me, Ernie, we're going to go visit Hogsmeade," Lisa said, her small hand tucked into his, fingers brushing his palms.

"Hogsmeade? We're going to _Hogsmeade_? But it's dark and…there are still Death Eaters around, aren't there? I don't…are you _nuts_, Lisa? What if we get hurt? Or killed? Or…"

Ernie was a bit of a worrywart, he knew that. All his classmates had told him such in the last seven years at Hogwarts, and he knew worrying was ridiculous, but that didn't mean that he wasn't always thinking of the dangers that constantly surrounded him in the world.

"Ernie, just _trust _me, okay? I know what I'm doing, so just stop worrying. Stay with me and nothing will happen to you, Ernie, don't freak out." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek and Ernie kept following her down the steps and onto the main grounds.

It was night time even when they had started out here, and it was dark by the time they reached Hogsmeade, where Lisa directed him to follow her past the Three Broomsticks, towards the edge of the town, where houses met forest.

Ernie took a look around the village, noting that the place had changed since the Battle; there were buildings that had once stood tall but now lay in ruins or nothing more than ashes on the ground. Zonko's was completely gone and the northern wall and most of the post office was missing.

"Let's just sit here for a moment, okay?" Lisa directed him towards a bench near the post office which was scorched and missing the backside. "I want to talk to you for a minute."

"T-talk to me? What do we have to talk about? We don't have anything to talk about, right, Lisa? Everything's cool, right, Lisa?" Ernie was beginning to sweat, worried that his girlfriend was about to say that she no longer wanted to be with him, or something equally as horrible.

"Just listen to me, Ernie…I know that this is a bit...unorthodox, I suppose, but I think that, when the feeling comes to you and you just _know _that how you feel is real, then...and I guess we're kind of young, but I just don't think age should matter when you're in love, and…" Lisa trailed off, staring down at her hands in embarrassment, shifting from one foot to the other.

"What? You dragged me all the way out to Hogsmeade with a bum leg for a reason, Lisa, so what is it that you're trying to tell me? Whatever it is, I'm sure everything will be fine." Ernie said, giving his girlfriend a cautious look, now _completely _worried that she might planning to break up with him, or something even worse.

"Ernest Anthony Louis Macmillan. I have known you since we were eleven years old, when you accidentally walked into my compartment on your way back from the bathroom. You were a cute dork back then, and you still are now, and I love you." Lisa gave him another smile, her fingers briefly trailing his cheeks before she continued talking. "And, I know we're only eighteen and people say that eighteen is too young to be in love, but I _know _that I am in love with Ernest Anthony Louis Macmillan, and I'd rather spend the rest of my life with you than anyone else."

"You're getting really weird, you know that, Lisa? Is there something going on that I need to know? Is something happening? You're not sick, right? You're _not _sick, are you Lisa?" he gripped her by the shoulders, looking into Lisa's face fearfully.

"I'm not sick, no. in fact, I've never felt better, you know, recent events considered. I mean, I know there's been a war going on, and technically, it's not done just yet, so this might seem a bit rushed and childish, but…" she took a deep breath, "Ernie, will you marry me?"

"Wha-aa?" he stared at her, at a loss for words. "Do what? I…do what…huh…huh…?"

"Will you marry me? I mean, it's okay if you're not ready to get in engaged or if you don't want to marry me or…if you think I'm crazy, it's just that I'm so _in love _with you, and I figured what better time to ask you, you know? And I know it's supposed to be the guy who does the asking, but…it just felt right, like _I _was the one who should ask."

"Well, I mean, you _are _the one who asked me out in Fourth Year to the Yule Ball," Ernie finally said when he recovered from his shock. "I don't think it should come as too much of a surprise to anyone if you're the one to ask me for my hand. After all, now isn't exactly the best time for being traditional, right, Lisa?" He smiled.

"Is that a yes, then?" she asked, and he leaned over to kiss her on the lips, making Lisa blush, something that Ernie thought made her look even cuter than normal.

"That's a yes, Lisa Christiana Turpin. That's a yes." They kissed again, fingers intertwined, and Ernie grinned against her mouth.

This was the best news he could have ever gotten.


End file.
